Printer&#39;s inking roller and method of protecting journal supports of same



Dec. 4, 1928. 1,694,217

' W. C. HART PRINTERS INKING ROLLER AND METHOD OF PROTEOTING JOURNAL SUPPORTS OF SAME Filed May e, f1927- 'Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNITED STATES Parfuem'l OFFICE.

WILLIAM.' C. HART, OF NEW YORK, N'. Y.

Application led May 6,

My present invention relates to inking rollers for printing presses comprising cylinders having surfaces formed of a semi-elastic gelatinous substance and it has for its obliect to provide certain improvements therein whereby the exposed metallic parts of the rollers may be protected against the action of moisture in the coating during its application and the latter will be subsequently protected when in use against the deleterious effects of oil creepage from the journals in which the rollers are carried.

Printers-rollers of the usual ty e are provided at their ends with stub sha ts or axles 16 which are machined and polished and rotate in suitable journal boxes. In another type the parts corresponding to these axles constitute a shaft carrying bearings which are within the roller or cylinder. In both types 20 of rollers the necessary machine work is performed before the elastic surfacing is applied and as this is applied in a semifluid state and contains a large percentage of moisture it is desirable to protect the bearing parts at-the' end of the roller and in furtherance of this object of my invention I provide a covering of Waterproof sheet material, a portion of which may be subsequently removed after the surfacing substance has become set or hardl ened.

A further object of the invention is to provide certain added features in connection with the printing rollers themselves which I combine with the waterproof covering material so that a portion of the latter may be retained on the roller and so arranged that it will lessen the tendency for lubricating oil from the bearings to reach its gelatinous surface, since when such action occurs the elastic surface becomes softened at its ends and will flake off or break away necessitating a resurfacing of the roller.

To these and' other ends my invention embodies certain further improvements all of which will he more completely described and the novel features set forth in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation, partly in section, illustrating my invention applied to a type of inking roller having internal bearings.

other elements, embracing sUrPom's or' 1927. Serial No. 189,217.

Fig. 2 is a View showing one end of the roller illustrated in Fig. 1 as it appears in an intermediate stage in the surfacing operating with the protecting device arranged to protect the bearings. l

Fig. 3 is a view similar to I `ig.v 2 showing the invention applied to a type of roller in which the axle is rigid on lthe drum and Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing a convenient form of making the. journal coverings. l

In the several figures similar reference4 characters indicate slmilar parts.

In illustrating my invention, I have-shown in Fig. 1 a printing roller comprising a drum 1 of any desired length and diameter, which is carried on the sha 2, the ends 3 of which extend outwardly and form the sup orts on which the roller is held in the usual bearings of the printing press, as will be understood. In this type of roller the drum is supported at its ends on interior roller bearings comprising a plurality of balls 4, held between inner and outer race ways 5 and 6 fitted on the shaft and within the drum respectively. These bearings are held in place by nuts 7 threaded into the ends of the drum, which on their inner faces are provided with recesses containing felt washers 8; The shoulder portion of the nuts 7 projecting beyond the ends of the drum 1 are provided with slight annular depressions 9, which also support the felt washers 10, the purpose of which is to inter- 35 cept any lubricating oil that may have a tendency to work its way under centrifugal action outwardly onto the ends of the drum.

The surface' of the cylinder or drum 1 is provided with a comparatively thick coating of printers composition, indicated by 11, which is a soft covering usually composed of a composition of glue and glycerine with a large percentage of moisture which enab to be applied in a semi-fluid or plastic state. In the operation of applyin this coating it is essential, both because of t e moisture content, of the substance and its sticky nature when in a plastic condition, to protect the exposed ends. of the roller and the bearing surfaces of the shafts,4 and to this end I employ a hood or covering of Waterproof material. This applied temporarily inthe manner ines the composition ,D

dicated in Figs. 2 and 3 during the coating process and may thereafter be removed in wluch is in part to have a portion as indicated 'in Fig. 1 which will serve when the roller is made, for instance I select any suitable form of vater-proof material, indicated by 12, which may be either in the nature of oil-cloth or a rubberized fabric, preferably of a light color and shape it in the form of a truncated cone and secure the meeting edges by stitching as shown. The covering may be of such a length as to completely enclose the end of the shaft or journal support of the roller as indicated in dotted lines at the left hand end of Fig. 1 or it may only be extended sufiiciently to enclose the bearing portion proper of the shaft, as shown in full lines in Figs. 2 and 3. The water-proof material need not be especially shaped and in practice I find it is sufficient to use a sheet of the desired length and width which may be wrapped on the end of the drum 1 and secured thereto by a wrapping or serving consisting of any desired number of convolutions of cotton string, indicated by 13. The loose or free edge of the covering 12 is then secured firmly tothat ortion of the projecting end 3 of the shaft which it is desired to protect by likewise securin it in position by the wrapping of string, as indicated at 14:.V

In instances where the exterior felt washer 10 is employed the covering 12 is also collapsed into engagement therewith and secured to the periphery of the washer by the convolutions of wrap ings, indicated by 15. The axles or stub sha ts projecting from the ends of the roller being thus protected the material forming the surface 11 may be applied without any attention or especial care being given to preserve the exposed parts or steps taken to exclude moisture from the internal bearings, of a roller of the type shown in Fig 1 after coating operation is completed and the coating has become set or hardened the art of the water-proof covering 12 which then becomes non-essential may be removed, either by severing it along the line 16 at the end of the roller or preferably along the line indicated by the point 17, thus leaving an annular portion 18 having greater or less width, according to the diameter of the drum 1, and which, extending between the periphery of the washer 1() and the circumference of the drum, provides a light colored l surface, which will readily indicate to the operator anjpreepage of lubricating oil that may escape yond the washer 10.

In Fig. 3 a printers roller of the usualtype is shown, in which the drum 20 is carried at its ends by stub shafts, such as 21. The protecting covering before described is applied to a roller of this type in the manner already indicated, the felt washer 22 in this structure being carried on a shoulder formed directly on the end of the drum, or provided in the form of a collar mounted on the shaft.

In either type of drum the oil collectin washers 10 and 22 may be omitted if desire in which event the covering 12 may be severed on a line at the end of the drum, as part of the operation of trimming off the ends of the spongy ink carrying surface.

What I claim is l. The combination with an inking roller, comprising an inking composition supporting portion and journal supports at its ends, of a protective covering extending from the ends of said portion between the latter and the inking composition over said supports.

2. The combination withan inking roller comprising a drum on which an inking com- -position is carried and having journal su ports at its ends, of a covering adapted to e secured to the ends of the drum and to said supports, said covering extending from the ends of the drum between the latter and the composition to said supports to protect the latter during the operation of applying the inking composition.

3. In an inking roller for printing presses, the combination with a drum provided with an ink carrying surface and having journal portions at its ends, of hoods of moisture proof material secured to the ends of the drum and enclosing said journal portions:

4. In an inking roller for printing presses, the combination withfa drum provided with an ink carrying surface and having a 'ournal portion at its ends, including a mem er extending beyond the ends of the drum of oil absorbing material located between the journal and the periphery of the drum, a hood secured to the latter and surrounding said member and means securing the hood to said absorbing member. I

5. In an inking roller for printing presses, the combination with a drum having supports at its ends and provided with an ink carrying surface, of annular shoulders at the ends of the drum, oil absorbing washers carried by the shoulders and coverings of ilexible material attached to the drum and to said washers and having a portion arranged to temporarily surround the supports, said portions being arranged to be readily removable to expose said supports.

6. The method of protecting the journal supports of printers inking rollers during the period of applying the inking composition surfacing material'which consists in initially securing to the ends of the drum and to the journal supports a covering of moisture resisting material before the application of the Composition to the drum.

7. The method of protecting the journal supports of printers inking rollers during 5 the period of applying the inking composition surfacing material which consists in initia-lly securing to the ends of the drum and to the journal supports a covering of flexible moisture proof material before the applicw tion of the composition to the drum and sub-- sequently removing a. portion of said material to expose said journals.

WILLIAM C. HART. 

